My Leap of Faith

So I think that I am still on that post-marathon high of happiness and being satisfied. Funny how having a very satisying experience can feel better in some aspects than achieving a PR.

I think I came away with some things that are more valuable than a PR.

*** First, I trusted my intuition on going to Kiawah. Somehow your intuition already knows what you are meant to do by learning to let it guide your decisions and than trusting it even when outside circumstances would let you doubt more than to trust. I did that - I trusted my intuition!

*** Second, I had an outcome goal that was not time related so it allowed me not to focus on pace and not get discourage if I was not on a PR pace. My outcome goal was I wanted to have fun, renew my love for the marathon, encourage others on the course, let it come to me and above all else BE IN THE MOMENT. All of those were accomplished.

- I had fun, I smiled alot, I sung to my ipod, I slapped hands with kids, I threw my arms in the air for the people cheering, I smiled at and thanked volunteers at water stations.
- I took the time to help fellow runners when they were struggling, I coached several people out of the mental spiral when they were slowing, and I am encouraged runners that were hauling ass or looking weary.
- I never forced my pace and never let my mind get down even in the last couple of miles when I could feel the heat, humidity and my body not being use to running this long. I encourage myself with all the good stuff I could find in my head. I can not remember one negative thing I let in my head cause I really don't think I ever had a negative thought.
- I let the race unfold as it was meant to and never felt like I needed to control it and I ran on effort.
- I stayed in the mile that I was in - never looking past that mile in my own head which allowed me to stay in the moment.

Another big win for the day was my fuel strategy, I had exceuted perfectly and with no tummy problems. Uhm! Finally after 14 marathons, I think I have figured out what works best for my body. I actually think I could used one or two more gels without tummy distress. I will be working on going from 4 gels to 6 gels in my next marathon.

So when my mind threathen to bring up details like you have only ran long 2 times since September and the last long run was 3 weeks out not two weeks out.  I am still in awe that I would able to block that the fact that I had only a couple runs under my belt and my mileage had been low trying to get out from the fatigue and my leg and that most of miles were on the AlterG up until 2-3 weeks before the Kiawah. If I would have let my mind and logic in before this event tham I think that would have mentally crippled on that startline. I would just never let any of this in after I made the decision to go to Kiawah telling myself that no matter the training, just trust your instinct and all will be well. Go and do what is your heart and all will be well.